The Worm Virus
by Lucreace
Summary: During her 5 year mission, the crew of the Enterprise encounter a deadly virus. Will they be able to cure this disease before it takes the lives of those they hold most dear? Chapters will be short to keep the updates regular
1. Chapter 1

The day was not going well. McCoy looked around the medical bay and sighed as another member of the crew vomited onto the deck. He rolled his eyes, "Nurse!" he quipped. At this rate, he'd run out of nurses and have to do some scrubbing himself. Most of the beds were already full with unwell crewmembers. He returned his attention to the organism he was examining under the lab microscope – he'd never seen anything like it. It seemed to be a cross between a parasitic worm and a viral infection. Nor did he know where it came from or how it could be destroyed.

"What you got for me Bones?" Kirk's voice came over the intercom, concern sounding in every word.

"You're not going to like it Jim."

"Tell me something I don't know."

"I can't make it out, it seems to be some kind of worm virus," he said, it wasn't technical but that's all he had.

"Can you cure it?"

"I don't know," how could you cure something if you didn't know what it was? "I'm working on it." He said. The wet noise of someone losing their stomach sounded in the background. Great. "I've got to go Jim, look, if anyone up there starts to sweat or look off you send them straight to me."

"I'll be in touch." Kirk said. The com clicked off, leaving Bones to examine the organism further – this was going to be a real problem. Why Jim insisted on beaming down to every rock and moon was beyond him, there was no wonder a disease like this had found its way on board ship. He'd much rather deal with the Andorian Flu any day, at least that had a cure. Bones watched as the worm split into two and began writhing around in the fluid on the tray. One of the pair appeared to barf up some matter, which in turn attracted the other. He shuddered and stood up.

The doors of Sickbay hissed open and in stumbled Chekov. His skin had a damp sheen covering it and he looked green. McCoy already knew that he would be hot to the touch; chills would follow, "I don't feel good," he whispered.

"Come on lad," he said. He strode over and hooked his arm under Chekov's. The kid felt weak, like he was about to- Chekov's legs went from under him. McCoy helped him into one of the vacant beds and urged him to lie down. He reached for a sedative and jabbed it onto the side of his newest patient's neck. Chekov instantly relaxed, his breathing came a little easier and his eyes drifted closed. McCoy picked up the nearest scanner and ran it over his friend. The readings said that everything was fine but one glance told him otherwise. He placed a bowl on the side of the bed, knowing already what the next phase of the disease would be. He sighed, knowing that this was going to be messy before he found a cure.


	2. Chapter 2

Bones entered the briefing room in a hurry, flustered; he claimed his seat and laid his scanner in front of him. He wasn't even sure why he had brought it to the briefing, it had seemed important when he'd left Sick Bay. Jim and Spock were sat around the table. "What have you got?" Jim asked.

"Nothing new Jim, except the next phase of the disease is as explosive as the last," he said, "What was on Beta Crypt? Did you find anything at all?"

"There was nothing but sand there." Spock said, "There was evidence of an ancient civilisation as we found some ruins. Evidence showed that they had been extinct for five thousand years."

"Any idea what it was that drove them to extinction?" Bones asked.

"There was no evidence to suggest anything. There was nothing on the walls that told of a disease or slow ending duration. There was an extinct volcano in the immediate vicinity so the logical conclusion as that it wiped the species out." Spock explained.

"There has to be something else," McCoy said.

"Well whatever it is needs to be found," Jim said, "And quickly."

"I'll come to the lab Doctor," Spock said. McCoy nodded, he hated to admit it but the Vulcan may be able to see something that he missed.

"Keep me informed gentlemen," Jim said. Dismissed, the three men rose and returned to their relative stations. Spock moved silently to the station where the organism virus was located. McCoy tended to Chekov, the boy burned with fever and barely aware of what was going on around him. He administered a tranquilliser in the hope it would bring the fever down. The monitor told McCoy all his signs were normal yet a check of the pulse in a more conventional way said otherwise. His heart was pounding faster than it should but it was the temperature that concerned him the most.

"Doctor, have you seen it divide?" Spock asked.

"I saw it do something earlier. Broke in two and began feeding from some matter barfed out by one of them." He said walking over to where Spock stood. "What do you make of it?"

"You have it isolated in blood?"

"Yes."

"It appears it is using the plasma within the blood to divide and reproduce. To what end I cannot foresee." Spock said.

"Yeah, that' the problem. It's chewing through our guys like wildfire and there's not a damned thing I can do to stop it." McCoy said. Spock straightened from the station.

"Do not despair yet doctor, there is still plenty of time to learn how to deal with this organism." McCoy rolled his eyes but failed to retort when the ensign on the bed nearest jerked suddenly to an upright position. His eyes rolled back in his head and he began convulsing.

"Looks like our time is getting shorter." McCoy said as he rushed to the side of the bed with a sedative. Spock nodded and followed him with a scanner.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks everyone for following my little story. I'm flattered that you find it worth reading and appreciate it. If you find something wrong or something that needs correcting please let me know. I like to read comments so feel free to leave a review.**

**Thanks again**

Chapter 3

Meanwhile, the bridge of the Enterprise was having problems of its own. "Captain, I'm receiving a distress signal from the USS Reliant," Uhura said turning in her chair.

"Onscreen." The view changed from showing the calm galaxy to that of a star ship bridge that had taken heavy fire. The captain's face was bloody, his breath ragged. "What's the problem Captain?"

"Romulans," he gasped. "They came out of nowhere and fired on us, request immediate assistance." As he spoke an explosion rocked the ship, the captain looked around, "The Romulans are still around somewhere."

"We'll be there as soon as we can," Kirk said. The communication terminated and he turned to Sulu. "How soon can we get there?"

"Fifteen minutes Captain."

"Get us there in ten, Maximum warp."

"Aye sir."

Kirk tapped on of the buttons on his chair, "Sick bay,"

"Nothing new to report Captain." Came Bones' disembodied voice.

"We have received a distress signal from a nearby ship and are on route. Apparently they have been attacked by a Romulan scouting party. I need you to be ready, we may need to assist their medical team with the rescue." Kirk explained.

"Jim, I've hardly enough room to put our own sick crew let alone another ship worth," Bones replied.

"I know that but we can't leave them there. Just make sure you're ready," Kirk replied. He clicked the button before Bones could unleash any more protests. The minutes ticked by at the slowest rate the possibly could. Kirk had never experienced slower minutes than these few. The stars zipped by on the view screen but it didn't seem to make the time speed up.

"Arrival in thirty seconds," Sulu said finally.

"Raise shields." Kirk ordered.

"Shields up."

The Enterprise dropped out of warp and approached the Reliant. The visualiser depicted the ship suspended in space with visible signs of a fire fight. As they all looked on, an explosion ripped through her left plasma vents. "There are still life signs aboard captain but their life support system is failing."

"Sulu, beam them aboard," Kirk said. He wiped sweats hands on his pants before opening the com link to sick bay, "Bones, their life support is failing, I'm sending them directly to you."

"We'll be treating them in the corridors."

"Well, then at least they'll be getting seen to." Kirk replied, no trace of sarcasm in his voice. He could see the look on McCoy's face even without there being an image and he smiled to himself. He terminated the link before focusing his attention on the screen again.

"Sir, we have eighty six survivors now on board," Sulu said. Kirk looked up at Sulu, his face was covered in a light sheen of sweat.

"Are you feeling alright?"

Sulu frowned at the question before standing, "I do feel a bit strange Captain."

"Then report to Sick Bay," Kirk said. Sulu nodded and walked to the turbo lift. He did seem a bit unsteady when he walked. An ensign took his place. "Right, get us away from that ship and back to Beta Crypt." Kirk said. The ensign obeyed putting as much distance between them and the lurking Romulans as the could.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you for all the follows and kind reviews. I'm enjoying writing this little tale so will try and get updates as soon as I have the time. Until hen, keep reading and keep reviewing.**

Sick bay was a complete shambles, even with the remaining members of the Reliant's Medical Team helping, Bones could hardly get round to see everyone. There wasn't enough beds for everyone so the walking injured were being made to sit in the corridor outside. He was also aware that the disease his own crew carried was more than likely contagious but there was nothing he could do about that. He had no idea how the disease was transported and there was not enough room to isolate every individual.

Thankfully, the worst injury that had been brought to him was burns related; nasty looking but easy enough to deal with. He'd sedated most of the patients who seemed to be suffering from shock before leaving a couple of nurses to catalogue the damage. It was then that Chekov had started screaming. It wasn't a normal scream either, a deep, curdling yowl that hardly sounded human. "Pav?" McCoy cried as he sprang over to the bedside. He grabbed a sedative and jammed it into the side of his neck. The next scream died on Chekov's lips and he slumped back into the soft bed. McCoy proceeded to take a sample of his friend's blood and ran it to the scanner. What he saw disgusted him.

The same worms he'd seen earlier had now multiplied and infested Chekov's bloodstream. They continued to divide and separate at an alarming rate. Maybe if he could isolate one he could get some more tests run. Surely there must be something on that planet they'd picked up and not noticed until their return. What was on the ship that wasn't on the planet…

"Doc…" Sulu entered the Sick bay looking worse than ever.

"Not another one!" McCoy said. Sulu nodded wanly. "Well, I don't have anywhere for you to lay down so you'll have to make do with that chair." He said pointing at an empty chair in the corner, "Oh, and take this," he added handing Sulu a bucket, "You're going to need it."

"Thanks," Sulu said although in truth he didn't look that thankful. McCoy returned to attempting to isolate one of the worms he'd drawn from Chekov's blood. It was difficult and took several attempts but eventually he caught one. Once he had it, he transferred it to a clean slate and shoved it under a microscope. The worm twisted and writhed on the tile now that it was away from the blood. After a moment it lay still and began to decompose into fine dust.

"Fascinating," he muttered before he realised he'd used one of Spock's phrases. Now it was just a case of finding out what it was in the blood that kept this organism alive. He was now convinced it was an organism rather than a disease and it must have come from Beta Crypt. He'd have to get some samples from the planet in order to help him understand what was going on. A sudden impact threw McCoy from his feet. "What th-" he muttered before another hit the side of the ship. The day just keeps getting better and better!


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks for all your lovely comments and encouragement. It's nice to see others enjoying my stories and wanting to find out what happens. If you have any questions or suggestions then please get in touch. Thanks again.**

"Shields!" Kirk cried, "Find out where those blasts are coming from!"

The bridge was in chaos, crew members had been thrown from their seats from the sudden impact, even Spock usually so nimble, had been shaken. Back on his feet in a moment, he'd returned to his station and began scanning the sub-space for clues. Uhura sent a transmission on every known frequency to try and find the invisible assailant. No further blasts appeared, Kirk began relax. "Damage report Scotty." He said after tapping a button on the chair.

"Nothing major sir, transporter will be out for an hour or so but hull integrity has been maintained. It was like they were taking a pot shot rather than a calculated aim," he said.

"Some good news, keep me posted Scotty,"

"Aye sir." There was a click and his voice faded.

"Sir, I have an incoming transmission." Uhura said.

"On screen."

A moment later, the terse face of a Romulan Commander filled the screen. His frown was made deeper by his pointed eyebrows. "What is the meaning of this attack?" Kirk demanded forgoing any pretence of politeness.

"You need to leave this part of space." The way the Romulan said it brokered no argument. "It is part of the Romulan Empire and you are not welcome here. You have three hours to comply."

"My people have contracted a virus from the planet during an away mission, please, let me have a little more time so we can figure out how to cure it," Kirk said. He knew it sounded hollow in his own ears, God only knew what the Romulan would think.

"No, you humans are always poking your faces in where they are not wanted. It's your fault you caught this virus, May it serve as a warning for all other humans in the future. If you're not gone within three hours, we will destroy you." With that, the transmission terminated.

"Spock?" Kirk said turning to his first officer.

"There is no way we can beat them sir, we don't know what their position is or what their fire power is. Without further information I predict our chances of success are minimal."

"Is there any way we can find out?"

"A cloaked ship cannot be found yet I will not stop trying."

"Good, Scotty," Kirk said once more summoning his Chief Engineer, "I need that transporter working in the next ten minutes."

"Sir, it's going to take longer than that, there was some major damage done to it."

"We don't have longer than that." There was a disgruntled sigh from the engineer but also a grunt of acknowledgement. "Good work." Kirk said before cutting him off. He tapped another button, "Bones."

"Jim?"

"We're going down to that planet; we've got three hours to solve this mystery before we have to get out of here." Kirk said. "Meet me in the transporter room in fifteen minutes." There was a muttered response before Kirk leapt to his feet. "You have the conn Spock." He said before heading to the turbo lift. This was going to be fun.


	6. Chapter 6

This was the worst possible place McCoy could think of being. With so many people sick and injured his place should be in sick bay. The planet was a giant ball of sand with very few features of interest near them. The ruins were half buried with grit and every breath he took caused a little more sand to fly into his mouth. Jim on the other hand, seemed to be having a much better time, he busied himself scanning everything and taking samples of dirt. McCoy contented himself with scanning the section of ruin that the crew had encountered a few days ago. There didn't appear to be anything wrong with it physically and yet, he got a sense that something was off. He just couldn't put his finger on what it was. The images on the wall showed an ancient civilisation going about their day to day life.

He stood for a moment, the dust from the planet blowing around his feet, giving the wall his full attention. He looked at the people, tall and majestic looking and not unlike humans at all. There was one picture in particular that caught his eye. The people were sat down to eat a meal of some vegetable matter, or so it appeared. It depicted them moving from a villa of some sort to a table that held wine. He knew it had to be wine because it seemed to be poured from a earthen vessel of some sort. The next picture was of the family eating a meal, there were no drinks on the table of any kind.

"Have you got something Bones?" Kirk asked moving to step beside him.

"I don't know." He said pointing at the wall, "There's something missing here that I can't place. It's like the answer is staring right at us I just can't see it." He found that he wished Spock was with them, he'd have figured it out and made the cure by now.

"I can't see it Bones, they're eating and drinking like regular people, they seem to be doing every day stuff." Kirk said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"The answer's got to be here somewhere; I don't now how much longer our people can live. Think of Chekov, we need to find an answer," Bones said.

"I know and we are doing. I got some samples and we'll run this image by Spock when we get back. Is there anything else around here that may help?" Kirk said putting a hand on McCoy's shoulder.

A further scout around the area turned up nothing but sand, grit and a few bigger stones that looked about exciting as sandy rocks get. Kirk grabbed one none the less and added it to his stash of samples. "We should get going Jim; I got enough ill people in Sick Bay to make the Spanish Flu look like the common cold."

Kirk nodded, he tapped his communicator, "Two to beam, Kirk out. I just hope we can get something out of this," He said.

"So do I," Bones nodded. The warm hum of the transporter brought them both back to the Enterprise, they separated, there was work to be done!


	7. Chapter 7

Sick Bay was busier than ever. People from the Reliant's crew had now begun to catch the infection, confirming McCoy's fear that it may be airborne. While he had been gone, spare beds had been moved into the nearby rooms and patients were now being houses there. Anyone who had even a slight knowledge of medical care had been commandeered into helping tend the sick. Even Scotty was there pitching in where he could. His grumbling brogue was a comfort for many and McCoy caught himself wondering whether Scotty had chosen the wrong profession. He shook the thought and focused on getting the latest samples under the microscope. Spock began to hover around and McCoy was more than happy to let his companion examine the findings. He failed to see how some dusty old rocks would help but there was no harm in looking.

Someone behind him began screaming and he was forced to leave the scientific part to Spock. Bones grabbed a hypospray and jammed it into the side of the patient's neck, easing his pain at least momentarily. The noise ceased at least. Sulu looked greener than ever in the chair he sat, his skin translucent with sweat, "Why don't you go and lie down?" Bones said.

"I think if I try to move I'll end up in a heap on the floor," he said. Bones returned the young man's smile; it was amazing how he was still trying to be brave through it all. At that moment, Chekov began thrashing around with such violence it looked as though he may break the bed.

"Nurse!" McCoy yelled. One of the Reliant's nurses, Dana if he remembered right, appeared. She looked worn and more than a little bruised but she was ready enough. "He's burning up, we need to lower his body temperature now and I don't want to blast him with any more sedative," McCoy said. She nodded and scampered off, moments later she returned with a bucket of cold water and a sponge.

"Seems a bit old fashioned," she said as she soaked the sponge and placed it on Chekov's head. His eyes flickered open but they didn't recognise anything. Dana repeated the action and the thrashing stopped, his breathing returned to a more normal pace.

"God I don't know how much more of this I can handle," McCoy said letting out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding. Sulu edged his chair over to where his friend lay.

"I'll keep an eye on him," he said. McCoy laid a hand on his shoulder and smiled, no words needed to be spoken.

"Nurse, I want you to go around and begin sponging those that have been in here the longest – keep them cool. Gather a team if you have to." Dana nodded and strode off.

"Doctor!" This time it was Spock who was calling.

"Yes?"  
"I think I may have found something of interest."

"Finally." McCoy muttered as he strode over to the table once more.


	8. Chapter 8

Bones wasn't sure what he was looking at, the dust particles looked like, well, dust if he was honest, "I don't know what I'm seeing Spock." He said looking up at his friend. "It looks like dust."

"Most of it is, have another look at the darker particles," Spock said. McCoy did so. At first he couldn't make out any darker specks but as his eyes adjusted he saw one. Now that he focused on it, it looked like a dead black spider mite. It wasn't moving but there was a definite undust-like shape to it. As he zoomed in further he could see the black speck appeared to have amour plates along its back, not dissimilar to an earth woodlouse.

"What the hell is that?" he muttered.

"So far I am unsure," Spock said.

"It would be easy for something like this to come onboard without being detected." McCoy said straightening once more.

"Indeed."

"And something that small could be inhaled, which would go on to cause all sorts of problems. How does it go from being a tiny bit of dust to the worms we found in Chekov's blood?"

"I am unsure doctor."

McCoy began walking back and forth as he spoke, "Something that's not abundant on the surface below but is up here." He narrowed his eyes and a deep furrow appeared between his brows. Spock looked on as his friend paced along.

"You say the planet has a dry environment," he said.

"Damn it Spock I'm trying to think!" McCoy snapped. He ran his hand over his face and continued to pace. He paused a moment; his eyes widened. "That's it!" he said with a sharp intake of breath. "Spock, fetch me that sponge." He said indicating an abandoned bucket of cold water. "Jim, you might want to get down here, I think we've had a break-through."

It took a moment for Kirk to join them, "What is it?" he said striding over.

"Watch this," McCoy said. He took the damp sponge and squeezed a drop of the water onto the dust. He flicked a switch so the view through the microscope could be seen on a visualiser. What they saw disgusted them. As soon as the drop of water hit the dust, the back specks began to move towards it. Once there, they stopped being small particles and exploded into tiny black worms. Wanting to test his theory further, McCoy squeezed some more water onto the worms – they immediately began to expand.

"What does this mean gentlemen?" Kirk asked.

"We have a water-born parasite on board and hopefully, now we understand how it operates, we can find a way to stop it." McCoy said. Kirk nodded.

"Finally some good news." He said. "Keep me informed."

"Of course." McCoy said before Kirk walked away.

"Fascinating." Spock said as he stared at the screen. McCoy returned his attention to the visual and shook his head. It was nothing short of disgusting as far as he was concerned.


	9. Chapter 9

Kirk wasn't sure whether it was the stress of the last day or the strain of trying to keep morale going that was making his head pound. He should have asked Bones for something while he was in sick bay. Never mind, he'd soon be back on the bridge and able to at least sit down in his comfortable chair. He wiped his hands on his crisp black trousers, maybe he'd get Scotty to look into the temperature settings in the Turbo Lift as well, man it was hot! It was a relief to step onto the bridge and sit down again.

"Captain," Uhura said turning in her chair.

"Yes Uhura?"

"Are you feeling all right?"

"Just a headache, any news from the Romulans?"

"No, we have twenty minutes left," she replied narrowing her eyes. Kirk felt a pang stab at him at the change of subject; she was only trying to show she cared.

"Open a ship to ship hailing frequency." Kirk said.

"Aye sir."

Nearly a full minute passed before an answer was received.

"What do you want?" Barked the Romulan Captain.

"Time, we need more time. We're so close to getting the vaccine that will cure this disease forever," Kirk said. He hoped that Spock and Bones were making some sort of breakthrough. The glare he received from the Romulan could have frozen their particular brand of ale. "I'm begging you, please, give us more time."

"You have eighteen minutes." The communication terminated.

Something turned a somersault in Kirk's stomach; he swallowed hard. He clicked the comm on his chair, "Bones, what've you got?"

"We know how it works Jim but it's going to take time to find a vaccine," he said.

"In seventeen minutes we're going to be in a fire fight against the same Romulans who blew up the Reliant." Kirk said. A trickle of sweat ran down into the small of his back, when did it get so hot in here?

"Can you stall them?"

"Already tried. It seems they are rather particular about this part of space." Kirk replied. "Keep working, Kirk out." He turned his attention back to the screen in front of them, "Is there no way we can find them?" he said.

"I can scan the immediate area but a cloaked ship is ninety nine percent invisible to all scanners." Sulu's replacement, a young ensign named Roberts, replied.

"A one percent chance is better than nothing, get to it Roberts, you've got fifteen minutes are we'll all be blown to bits." Kirk said. Roberts nodded and turned all his attention to the scanners. The silence on the bridge stretched onwards, the only sound was the hum and beep of the ships equipment. Kirk began to think he had sprung a leak somewhere, sweat poured out of him, his throat was so dry and his head was thumping along like some dance beat he'd heard in the rec-room. He brushed it all aside however when Roberts looked up, "Sir, I think I've found something."


	10. Chapter 10

**Nearing the end now folks. Don't worry, I have many more short story ideas so there will be more Trek adventures! Thanks for reading and reviewing, it's great to know that people are enjoying my tales.**

Coming up with a cure was proving to be more difficult than McCoy had anticipated. Finding something that would kill the worm had been pretty easy, finding something that killed the worm and not the host was the hard part. So far, he'd tried a range of chemicals and substances; chlorine, a hydrosulphate and Fluorine all worked but the concentrate needed would also be lethal to a human. It seemed that doing something to the water was the logical assumption; even Spock has agreed with that, it was just finding something that would work. Maybe he was thinking too hard about it; maybe the answer was simpler than he thought. He sighed, stood up and went to get coffee. It had been a long day and he needed something to stave off sleep for a few more hours.

When he returned he found Nurse Jenny, one of the Reliant's crew, doing her best to sponge Chekov's heat away. She looked tired but had stayed at her post even after he'd ordered them to rest. "Could use some of that myself," she said as she dunked the sponge once more. "Or something a little stronger." She laughed as she brushed light brown hair from her face.

"Maybe when this is all over we can grab a glass of Whiskey?" he said.

"Make it Vodka and it's a date," she said placing the sponge back on Chekov's forehead. He moaned but remained still.

"Now I never said anything about a da- That's it!" McCoy said. He sprang off leaving a confused Nurse Jenny behind. He placed the coffee on the table and rushed to his private medical store. He seized a bottle of brandy, kept for medical purposes only of course, and rushed back to the table. He tipped a tiny amount into the cap and poured it onto the dust. He held his breath as he watched through the microscope.

Back on the bridge, Kirk was trying his best to keep his eyes focused on what Roberts had found. He wasn't sure if the scanner was fluctuating or he was losing consciousness. "What is it?" he said wiping his brow with his sleeve, it came away sodden.

"I can't be sure but I think I detect a trace of distortion, similar to that created by the Klingon cloak on the Birds-of-Prey." He said.

"It's enough," Kirk said. "Raise shields."

"Already raised Sir."

"Right! I want you to lock phasers onto that distortion and be ready to fire." He said shaking his head to clear it. "They should fire any minute…" His words were cut off as a photon torpedo appeared out of nowhere and began its swift journey towards the Enterprise. "Brace for impact!" Kirk yelled. He dug his hands into the arm of his chair and hoped for the best. The ship rocked under the impact; the shields held.

"FIRE!"

Roberts didn't need to be told twice, he discharged the phaser banks into the depths of space, hoping for the best.


	11. Chapter 11

The phasers fired into the void of space, hitting nothing. "Roberts?" Kirk said, his breath caught in his throat. Another missile made its way to the Enterprise, the jolt this time sent a deeper shudder through the ship.

"Shields at fifty four percent," the ships computer chimed in.

"Rescanning sir."

A trickle of sweat clawed down his cheek but he couldn't bring himself to wipe it away, the sound of the scanner behind him seemed to echo around the bridge as Roberts did his work. Was that Uhura's breathing he could hear in the background? After a pause that felt like an eternity, he fired again. The phaser beam seemed to graze off something before it fizzled into nothing, "I got them sir!" This time, three torpedoes snaked across subspace.

"Hold on!" Kirk yelled. The torpedoes slammed into the ship, smoke exploded on the bridge, personnel catapulted across the bridge. At least one ensign slammed into his console and was knocked clean out. "Roberts! Get a lock on that ship and fire everything we've got!"

"Aye sir." He shouted already hammering at the buttons on his station.

"Sir!" Scotty's voice drifted over the comm. System, "We've taken a direct hit, shields are out, main power shaky."

"All right Scotty, can we warp?"

"I'd not risk it, it might cause more serious damage."

"Locked on sir," Roberts said.

"Fire!" This had better work. He watched at the phaser beams slammed into the invisible ship. The area around it wavered, shimmered and then relinquished what it was hiding. "Don't stop firing until they tell us to." Kirk said. He let out a breath and sagged into his chair. Nausea washed over him once more and he swallowed, his throat parched. "Spock," he said punching the communication button on his chair, "You need to get up here."

Alcohol was the key. The reaction from the worm was cataclysmic. McCoy watched as the thing writhed and bucked, trying to get away from the devastating liquid. The thing appeared to be choking, with a final buck, it became still. McCoy gave the air a punch in triumph! The crew were going to love this cure. He grabbed a nearby hypospray and altered the settings. Dashing over to Chekov, he waved Jenny out the way. He leaned over and applied the spray to his friends arm. It hissed as it administered the drug – a mix of alcohol and sustaining fluids. The effect was noticeable after only a few minutes. Chekov's pulse began returning to a normal level, his temperature fell rapidly. "Jenny!" he said. "I need you to administer this formula to everyone who has the virus."

"But this is-"

"Alcohol, yes, I know, it kills it!" he said. "I'm glad we arranged that drink more than ever now."

"Of course," she said with a coy smile, "Right away, Doctor" she said. She strode off to find the right equipment. McCoy had returned to tending the other patients in the sick bay, it hadn't come a moment too soon either.


	12. Chapter 12

**So this is it, the final chapter! I hope you've enjoyed reading this story as much as I have writing it. No doubt there will be another Trek fic along the way soon! Until then, enjoy.**

The ships weapons had a truly devastating effect on the now visible Romulan ship, The photon torpedoes tore a hole in the side of the ship so big tat Kirk could see through it. Robert's continued to blast at them with the phasers, although that now seemed unnecessary. By the time Spock arrived on the bridge, it was all but over, "Open a channel between us and the Romulan's Uhura," Kirk said.

"Aye Sir."

Moments later, the Romulan commander appeared on screen, "I have come to negotiate terms of your surrender," Kirk said. The bridge of their ship was awash with wires, smoke and shattered equipment. They were going nowhere fast.

"We will never surrender to the likes of you." He spat.

"Your weapons are down and you've no way to defend yourselves. I'm not going to fire on a defenceless ship. We have what we came for; we'll leave you to your problems." Kirk said. With that, he terminated the channel and sighed. "Spock, for the love of everything, please take over."

"Immediately Captain." Spock strode to the chair. Kirk took a deep breath and pushed himself into a stand. He wobbled a moment but managed to stay standing. It was time to pay a visit to sick bay

Kirk looked sceptical as he swirled the brandy around in the glass he had been given. A quick glance at Chekov lying asleep in the bed opposite and the peaceful expression on Sulu's face told him a great deal, "Are you sure this works?" he said. The idea of adding alcohol to his already stormy stomach wasn't one he relished.

"Is a black hole black?" McCoy replied.

"Well, down the hatch," Kirk shrugged before tipping the warm amber liquid down his throat. For a moment, nothing happened. Then a gripping cramp began to spread deep inside. His eyes widened and he wrapped his arms around his belly. For a moment he thought he was going to vomit. However, the feeling began to subside as rapidly as it had grown and he relaxed; the only thing that managed to escape his mouth as a yawn.

"Well?" McCoy said raising an eyebrow

"I could some sleep." Kirk said.

"I think we all could, it's been a long couple of days. Why don't you go get some rest? I'll stay here for a few more hours making sure these people are fine," McCoy said. The compassionate smile on his face was too much to resist.

"Do you order it?"

"I do."

"Then I'll make my way there now." Kirk arose and left the sick bay, leaving McCoy alone with his thoughts.

McCoy looked around his now peaceful Sick Bay and smiled. It had been a hellish few days, and he wasn't looking forward to the reports h'd have to write on the bug but at least he'd managed to find a cure in time. All in all, life was good.


End file.
